"'America is something that can be easily moved. Moved to the right direction.They won’t get in our way'"
Benjamin Netanyahu

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

The Syrian National Council: 'A political entity which plays a minor role in the Syrian scene'

[From AsSafir] "... The reason for this is that the coalition is a newborn that has inherited all the illnesses ofthe Syrian National Council (SNC). These signs of illness have become clearer with time, to the point that people have gradually lost all hope in the group. Thus, the coalition has repeated the SNC’s political rhetoric and the way it dealt with the public and with the armed opposition. The latter group delivered a harsh blow to the coalition, through several statements in which they refused to recognize the coalition and emphasized their desire to establish a religious state.The coalition received a backbreaking blow two days ago when it was forced to recognize the al-Nusra Front as a faction of the armed opposition, despite ongoing Western pressure to exclude extremists.Confusion has reached a peak regarding the work to form a transitional government, slipping into a Byzantine debate over recognition versus government formation. In the end, weapons have the last word and the newborn coalition is still in the recovery room.Despite the protests that were held in a show of support for the coalition, it didn't take the people long to abandon this support as a result of the new political entity’s performance. Refugees continue to flow to into neighboring Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. These areas are plagued by disastrous humanitarian conditions, and in addition to internally displaced people, extremist groups are present in some areas, particularly the north. The coalition has proved that it is not interested in any of this.In contrast, the coalition has repeatedly emphasized and demanded to be internationally recognized as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people before anything else. Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers have insisted that Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib — head of the coalition — provide a clear road map for the transitional phase and the future political and economic performance, before they grant him full recognition.However, Khatib has failed so far to meet such conditions and to exert control over the internal scene, at least in “the liberated areas,” where the chaos of weapons has contributed to the emergence of Salafists and other gangs and groups that have dominated by the force of arms.....As the coalition follows in the footsteps of its predecessor in terms of the frequency of its meetings, committees and statements, rapid Syrian developments are taking place, thus making it hard for it to catch up to them. Thus, it has turned into a political entity which plays a minor role in the Syrian scene. Meanwhile, the leading role is now being played by the armed groups, and most importantly those guiding, financing and arming militant groups...."